Fatal Brain Tumors on the Rise in England

Posted on April 04 2018

From Louis Slesin, Microwave NewsThe rate of GBM More than Doubled Between 1995 and 2015

Excerpt

The incidence of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the deadliest type of brain tumor, more than doubled in England between 1995 and 2015, according to a new analysis of national statistics. During that time, the number of cases of GBM rose from 983 to 2,531.

“We found a sustained and highly significant increase in GBM throughout the 21 years and across all ages,” said Alasdair Philips, the lead author of the study, which has just been released online by the peer-reviewed, open access, Journal of Environmental and Public Health.

“The incidence rate of GBM, the most aggressive and quickly fatal brain tumor, is rising dramatically in England while the rates for lower grade tumors have decreased, making this dramatic trend in the overall data,” Philips told us from his home in southern Scotland.

It’s not known what’s responsible for the change, but one possibility is the widespread use of cell phones.